

Spare Air is a good choice for new divers because it requires little training to use. For many recreational dives that is enough to get you relatively safely to the surface – it won’t be enough to share with your dive buddy if you both run out of air! The small holds 1.7 cubic feet of air and supplies about 30 breaths, while the large holds 3.0 cu ft of air and supplies about 50 breaths. The idea behind a Spare Air pony bottle is to allow the diver enough time to get to the surface, unencumbered by equipment. They are not fitted with hoses or pressure gauges but can be attached to the main scuba tank ( How Long can a Scuba Tank Last?) through a valve opposite to the mouthpiece on the regulator body. The two types of alternative air sources we will be going over are both known as “bailout cylinders” that are your safety net when you for whatever reason can’t get air through the octo of your buddy.ĬHECK PRICE! How long does Spare Air last? We recommend practicing with all the options under safe circumstances, in order to understand the benefits and limitations of each source. They are only meant to be used in the event of an emergency.Įach diver has their own preference for alternative air depending on the situation, with some preparing two different alternative sources for a single dive. For this reason, alternative air sources, which are basically small scuba tanks, were designed.

Though some people do swim with a second full-sized tank as their alternative air source, this method is cumbersome. It’s a reality that should be planned for every time. Inevitably, even the safest, most knowledgeable divers will eventually find themselves in dire need of air. Using a small scuba tank like pony bottles or spare air is the solution for self-rescue during such an emergency! Other times, they encounter a problem while diving, like a gas leak out of their tank.Įither leads to an air emergency where the diver might run out of air. Sometimes, divers underestimate how long they will be underwater and how much air they will need.
